Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Camp NaNoWriMo reflections of a creative challenge: Admiral Fish and the Rainy Day Parade the hook and excerpt

Synopsis:
With six drink abandon the residents of Riverside enjoy the last days of humanity.

Excerpt:
Akana lived alone at the top of Water Street, right across the street from where the forest had taken over the northerly part of town. Occasionally, and for one reason only, Akana walked over the chipped sidewalks and through the undergrowth to see what he might see.

What he might see, as anyone who walks through these places knows, is nothing. There is nothing there. There are old houses which have been pilfered long ago for anything that may be of any value. Anything that could be removed like stoves, or stained glass or wiring or pipes had made its way to Admiral Fish's place long long ago. Anything that was useful or pretty like a pan or plate or wall hanging had been distributed all over the remain houses at the bottom of the peninsula.

The old parts of town do not hold secrets and they do not hold curiosities. They do not hold dangers.

These old places are places that the forest has reacquired, because these places were on loan from the forest to begin with. These places only hold shadows, and no questions. There are birds and small forest creatures inhabiting the quiet nooks now. Only very occasionally would Akana find it worth the trek into the forest. These were only times when the summer weather grew warm enough to seek out shade. These times have happened less and less over the years. And from his house, Akana can see the forest, the slow moving creature filled with millions of little parts, consuming the world.

Unlike most of his neighbors, Akana did not keep much in his house. He did not choose to live alone, and at various points he has had others living with him. But now, after Weird Howard, there has not been cause or reason to have a roommate.

Most of the houses are opulent now, furnished with the finest things. Akana, however, chose to keep little in the way of furnishings or personal affects. This was not a design, not one that had been conscious. It happened gradually. It happened because of a book he had read. The book had suggested that those with big castellated homes filled with things will rarely get out into the community and meet neighbors or have any close or lasting relationships.

Despite best efforts, Akana did not have many close friendships. He had a few folks who would gladly share a meal with him, but no one wanted to linger on in his house afterward. He avoided the larger pow-wows. Only the annual Cider Fest captured his imagination. And that was only probably due to the six drink abandon which happened at the same time.

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